St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-09-30
President Cleveland Approves
the Plans Proposed for
His Entertainment.
Doings in the Social World
in a Single Day--The
Local Summary.
BY THE sHERIFF'S I'll

Shields, the night Waterman of the. Jail,
when they parted on the steps of Chris
Peters beer saloon about 9 o'clock
Tuesday night-according to the SwOrn
testimony of Henry Shields before the
coroner'S jury yesterday morning.
Il told him not to get too full, and
left him." so swore Waterman Shields.
But Shields testimony left the i'm
preston that something had not been
told. There was an air of mystery
about the affair aid the colored people
who crowded around the inquest room
insisted that there was pertinent evil
dence which did not come out. The
fact that Shields had been missing
the day before, and that he had been
locked all night in the Jail, seeing no
one but Mr.. Sanborn, the Sheritf'S at
torney, strengthened these suspicious.
He was not present when the jury was
polled at IL O'Clock yesterday morning,
but came in directly from the Jail a few
minutes later and was sworn immedi-
ately. The doors were closed on all
outsiders, only Assistant Prosecuting
Attorney Mum. Attorney Sanborn and
the reporters being allowed inside with
the jury and coroner. When Shields
took the witness stand his face betrayed
some anxiety. The room was cold and
gloomy, but large drops of perspiration
stood on his But he
OIL HIS STORY.
in q straightforward manner when QueS-
toned by Attorneys Mum and Sanborn,
and did not waver when Intercepted by
Thomas Lyle, the colored juryman. In
his testimony he said:
went down stairs TO the kitchen about 8
O'Clock to gel a lunch. Sheriff Richter's two
daughters were there and we wanted some
beer. So they gave mt the money and / took
a pail and went across to Chris Peters to get
ii filled. In the saloon l saw Chris and two
other gentlemen that l didn'tk know. Graham
was playing cards with Chris and another
white man. He says Good evening, Henry"
and | says good evening, old bum,' - just in
fun. and we both laughed. Istood the pitcher
on the counter and walked over toward him,
1aily' and l says, ''They are all right"
He gave me a wink and nodded
to me, and 1 went up pretty close
and he says to me in a whisper, How is your
girf1' | says, All right; you've always got
something to say about the girls and there
was no more said. Igot my beer and went
out, audit seems that Tim Graham stepped
out about the same time, He says, I've been
drinking a good deal to-day and he turned
to the left and stepped down through the lit
tie gate leading to the back yard of the sa-
loon. / went back to the jaH and we drank
the beer, and the young ladies went up stairs.
went up into The Jail for a while, and about
10 o'clock came down, and went over to
Peters saloon again to- get some tobacco.
Graham was in there then, playing cards, and
, I just said, Hello and he said Hello and 1
came away, leaving him. there. That is the
last time l saw him alive.
Shields said that he went out both
times through the door leading from
THE BASEMENT CORRIDOR
to the street, and was careful to lock it
upon hisreturn each time. 1t was with
his feet at this door where Graham fell,
and when Shields went down to look at
the body he,first time he was particular
to notice that the door was locked.
With a view to showing how Graham
. might have come in the basement. At
torney Sanborn put the Interrogation:
Did you examine the basement yesterday
morning to see whether there wasn't a win
dow open where they throw in wood?''
Yes, sir: therei is a window or sort of door
on the south side of the basement. opening
into the cellar, where they throw in wood.
1t is about six feet and a half from the
ground, and l found that door open.n
Shields testified that he went down
into the cellar where the sheriff found
Graham hiding, and went through to fix
the furnace, but did not see anybody
there: On the way up stairs from this
trip about II O'Clock, he met the sheriff,
and in answer to the sheriff'S question
said that he had been down fixing the
furnace and that everything was all
right. He handed the safe key to the
sheriff, and the sheriff went down
stairs while he went inside the Jail. He
was shaking down the coal stove when
the sheriff shot and did not hear the re-
port
Shields was examined by Juryman
Lyle as to the door which he found
Open,and said that the door had no lock,
but he had customarily placed a stick
Of wood against it to keep it shut. 1t
was already shut when he looked at it
IupCHaN niOht anA no nanlnata6 IN hor
it with a stick.
Following Shields, Mr.. Overton, who
was in the saloon with Graham, and DR..
Ancker, who was first called to the Jail
after the shooting, gave their testimony,
which has been related before.
The jury were out an hour and a half,
all except Thomas Lyle agreeing that
the verdict should declare the shooting
Justifable. Mr.. Lyle would not consent
be left open to further investigation,
and the following formal verdict was
finally rendered:
This jury, on their oath, believe that the
said Pm Graham came to his death from the
result of a pistol shot, firedfrom the hand of
Sheriff Fred Richter. in the basement of the
county Jail on the evening of the 27th day of
y, september, A. d. 1887.
ENoNERATE RICHTER.
The five members of the jury who fay-
ored a verdict generating the sheriff
issued this card yesterday morning:
st. Paul Sept. %, 1SS7.-We, the under
signed members of the coroner's jury which
sat 1.-THE inquest upon the body of Tim Ora
ham, hereby certify that we heard all the
testimony produced before said jury, and we
are all OF the opinion that Fred Richter, the
fheriff, was fully justified and was blanfeless
In his action in shooting the deceased. Signed
William Lindeke, William Bickel, Andrew
L. Perkins, Kimble ?, Cullen, John Summers.
VIM. Bickel added. to this, Rather
than have a hung jury we decided to re-
do over again / would stay there six
months rather than not exonerate the
sheriff."
Sheriff Richter felt very badly about
the verdict. He. ordered a coffin for
Graham's body last night and sent it to
.Graham's house, and will bear all the
funeral expenses himself. 1t was
rumOred last night that Shields had
been discharged by the sheriff, and one
OF his deputies said that if he had not
he probably would be.
Sheriff Richter said YESTERDAY that he
did not discharge Graham because he
oftered Insulting language to members
OF his family, as has been published.
The sheriff said that Graham, as far as
he was aware, had not been guilty of
such conduct.
CONSIDERABLE FEELING.
just what the .colored people are go
ing to do is not apparent, but they are
: very bitter in their expressions and
threaten all manner of things. Some
say an effort will be made to get a war
rant for the sheriff's arrest, and failing
in this they will probably endeavor to
have the grand jury Investigate the
case.
COLORED CITIZENS ACTION.
Resolutions to be read at Tim
Graham's Funeral To-day.